Disa in a Sarracenia lagoon

[fredg]

A short video of the Disa currently in flower.

Enjoy.

[mark smyth]

Are these yours?

[fredg]

Of course 

[Paul Cumbleton]

Very nice Fred, thanks for sharing. Would you tell us more about your "lagoon" and just how you are growing these?
Thanks
Paul

[fredg]

My Sarracenia lagoons are basically large water trays, each 6ft x 2ft x 3" (1800 x 600 x 75 mm) ( that is internal depth). I made them up from wood and covered inside with pool liner. The Disa are in live sphagnum + perlite and sit in the lagoon from spring to late autumn in about 2" (50mm) of rainwater. I use no fertiliser as they and some other orchids, share the lagoon/s with carnivorous plants. To keep them frost free in winter I transfer the Disa to a well ventilated cellar and keep them under LED growlight arrays that I also designed and made, as the lighting is much much cheaper to run than keeping a greenhouse frost free. They seem to enjoy that treatment. It's all very easy and simple( I like things that way).
If you're interested I could also post on my new little Darlingtonia house.

[Steve Garvie]

My Sarracenia lagoons are basically large water trays, each 6ft x 2ft x 3" (1800 x 600 x 75 mm) ( that is internal depth). I made them up from wood and covered inside with pool liner. The Disa are in live sphagnum + perlite and sit in the lagoon from spring to late autumn in about 2" (50mm) of rainwater. I use no fertiliser as they and some other orchids, share the lagoon/s with carnivorous plants. To keep them frost free in winter I transfer the Disa to a well ventilated cellar and keep them under LED growlight arrays that I also designed and made, as the lighting is much much cheaper to run than keeping a greenhouse frost free. They seem to enjoy that treatment. It's all very easy and simple( I like things that way).
If you're interested I could also post on my new little Darlingtonia house.

I'd be very interested to hear more -and see some images of your set up if you have any.
Sounds like you've come up with a very workable system.
What happens to the carnivorous plants over the winter?

[fredg]

The carnivorous plants in the lagoons which are mainly Sarracenia, Dionaea and Drosera are hardy. They stay out in the unheated greenhouses.

I suppose I should do a separate post elsewhere for any other information on my carnivorous plants.

[Paul Cumbleton]

Thanks Fred. I would be interested to know more about your home-made LED system - particularly  which specific LED's you are using. Commercial LED grow lights that give out relevant wavelengths are still pretty expensive. I'm wary of cheap systems offered generally (such as on Ebay) as there is no real guarantee that they produce the right wavelengths and the  intensity of their output often seems very low compared to commercial systems.

Cheers
Paul